Growing Our Own Barrels

10May

This is what the start of a Revolution looks like.

That’s Rogue Spirits Distiller John Wilcox pouring Dead Guy Whiskey into an oak barrel. It’s the kind of thing you expect to see every day around here. But what makes it Revolutionary is the story behind the barrel.

We hand crafted it ourselves, right here in our hometown of Newport, Oregon using Oregon White Oak harvested just up the road in the Coast Range.

The other half of this Revolution is the guy who made the barrel, cooper Nate Lindquist. Nate studied the ancient art of coopering for a year before coming back to Newport and opening shop, better known as Rolling Thunder Barrel Works.

That barrel you saw John filling with Dead Guy Whiskey? It’s the first barrel crafted by Nate – Rolling Thunder Barrel #1.

Why grow our own barrels? We wanted to know what would happen if our Oregon…